Donald Trump's Black Journalist Event Implodes as Kamala Harris Wins Voters

Donald Trump's interview at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention triggered significant backlash on Wednesday, coinciding with polls indicating that Vice President Kamala Harris is narrowing the gap with the former president in critical swing states.

Trump, who is the Republican presidential nominee, participated in the interview moderated by ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott, Fox News host Harris Faulkner, and Semafor reporter Kadia Goba. The event was met with criticism from some Black journalists who believed that Trump’s invitation was inappropriate due to his previous controversial remarks about race.

The interview commenced on a contentious note when Scott questioned Trump about why Black voters should trust him, given his history of racially charged comments. Scott cited his past statements on birtherism, his doubts about the qualifications of former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and former President Barack Obama, and his remarks about Black members of Congress.

Trump responded defensively, criticizing Scott’s approach: "I don't think I've ever been asked a question in such a horrible manner, the first question. You don't even say 'Hello. How are you?' Are you with ABC, because I think they're a fake news network, a terrible network."

He also criticized the NABJ for the event’s delayed start, attributing it to technical issues: "I have too much respect for you to be late. They couldn't get their equipment working, or something was off."

Trump’s comments on race further stirred controversy. When Scott inquired about Republican criticisms of Harris as a "DEI candidate," Trump repeatedly asked her to define "DEI." When Scott asked if he thought Harris’s nomination was solely due to her race, Trump claimed he was unaware of her racial background for years.

"She was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage," Trump said. "I didn’t know she was Black until a couple of years ago when she happened to turn Black, and now she wants to be known as Black."

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre condemned Trump’s remarks during a press briefing, expressing outrage and calling the comments offensive. "As a person of color, as a Black woman, who is in this position, that is standing before you at this podium, what he just said, what you just read out to me is repulsive," she said. "It's insulting, and no one has any right to tell someone who they are, how they identify. That is no one's right. That is someone's own decision."

Jean-Pierre further emphasized that only Harris could speak to her own experiences and identity, asserting that Trump's comments were dismissive and disrespectful.

The interview also drew criticism from various journalists and pundits. Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah criticized Trump’s evasiveness, stating, "Trump has not answered directly a single question." Former Senator Claire McCaskill labeled the interview as one of the worst Trump has ever done, remarking, "This Trump performance will be in the Hall of Fame of awful. He is so unaware of how bad he is, in other words, dumb. Wow."

Jon Favreau, a former Obama speechwriter, expressed disbelief at the interview’s quality, writing, "Oh my God. I cannot believe this Trump interview with Black journalists is real. This may be one of the worst interviews he's ever done, and that's saying something."

Conversely, some conservative commentators defended Trump. Greg Price, a conservative commentator, praised Trump’s handling of the interview, saying, "ABC's Rachel Scott opens her interview with President Trump at the NABJ conference by calling him a racist for criticizing black politicians and journalists. Trump gives a masterful response while also mentioning how he showed up while Kamala Harris did not."

Charlie Kirk, a conservative pundit and founder of Turning Point USA, commended Trump for taking a confrontational stance, noting, "Trump goes into hostile territory. The equivalent would be if Kamala went into the NRA. Trump did excellent. 10/10. Trump wins when he plays offense. Play to WIN!"

The interview coincided with new polling data showing Harris making gains against Trump. A YouGov/The Economist poll released on Wednesday revealed Harris leading Trump by two points (46 percent to 44 percent). Conducted from July 27 to 30 among 1,434 registered voters, the poll highlights her growing strength in the race.

A separate Redfield & Wilton Strategies poll, conducted exclusively for Newsweek among 1,750 likely voters on July 29, also showed Harris with a narrow 2-point lead (45 percent to 43 percent).

However, some polls continue to show Trump in the lead. An ActiVote poll conducted from July 24 to 29 among 1,000 likely voters found Trump ahead by two points in a head-to-head matchup (51 percent to 49 percent).